Machine fob breaking and scutching hemp os other eibrotjs material



w. A. SHELY. MACHINE FOR BREAEKING AND SCUTCHING HEMP OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL. APPLIQATION FILED DEC. 13, I918. RENEWED OCT. 20, 1919.

1,342,772. Patented June 8, 1920 5 SHtElS-SHEET lmas/4% W. A. SHELY.

MACHINE FOR BREAKING AND SCUTCHING HEMP OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1a, 1918. RENEWED OCT. 20, 1919. 1,342,772.

Patented June 8, 1920.

5 $HtElSSHhET 2.

W. A. SHELY.

MACHINE FOR BREAKING AND S'CUTCHING HEMP OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL- APPLICATION FILED DEC. I3, 1918- RENEWED OCT. 20, I919- Patented June 8, 1920.

w. A. SHELY. MACHINE FOR BREAKING AND SCUTCHI NG HEMP'OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL.

APPLlQATION FILED 050.13, 191$.RENEWED OCT. 20. 1919'.

PatentedJune 8, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET?- W. A. SHELY.

MACHINE FOR BREAKING AND SCUTCHING HEMP OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL.

w g 2 mm & hm m as m w m A a P 6% A %WJ WILLIAM A. SHELY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR BREAKING AND, SCUTOHING HEMP or Application filed December 13, 1918, Serial no. 266:5

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM -A. SEEnY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Breaking and Scutching Hemp or other Fibrous Material, of which the following 1s a speclfication.

This invention relates to that class of machines for breaking, scutching and clean ng or treating hemp, or other fibrous material, having one or more beater bars each mounted upon a rotative support and adapted to engage fibrous material to be fedlnto position to be operated upon thereby, and provided with means for feeding and supporting fibrous material in position to be engaged and operated upon by the beater bar mechanism.

The principal object of the invention 1s to provide a simple, economical and efiicient machine for breaking and scrutching or treating hemp or other fibrous material.

A further object of the inventionis to provide an improved machine for breaking and scutching hemp, or other fibrous material, having beater bars adapted to strike opposite sides of a layer of hemp or fibrous material alternately, and to provide means for supporting and operating suchbeater bars in such a manner that their movement into and out of engagement with the fibrous material will be a continuous uninterrupted movement but the circuit or path of movement of the fiber-engaging edges of the eater bars will be somewhat elliptical and in a direction which will cause the fiberengaging edges of said bars to come into contact with the fibrous material while said edges are moving outward away from the axis or axial centerof the rotative support upon which the beater bars are pivotally supported, whereby the desired speed and direction of movement of the fiber-engaging edges of the beater bars with respect to the fibrous material to be operated. upon is obtained.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from an examination of the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

The invention consists in the features, combinations and details of construction and.. arrangement of parts herein described and claimed.

Specification of Letters Patent.

OTHER FIBROUS MATERIAL.

Patented J une 8, 1920.

70. Renewed October 20, 1919. Serial No. 332,069.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, with the longitudinal central portion of the machine broken away in such a manner that by simply increasing the length of the transverse parts which appear broken the normal proportions of the parts can be ascertained and obtained;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical longitudinal section, taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. at is a view in front elevation of the machine shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view intransverse section taken on line 66 of Fig. 2, looking forward, as indicated by the arrows, and showing the construction and arrangement of the non-invertible beater bars and the manner of operatively connecting them with the rotative parts upon which they are supported, and the means for operating said parts; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing certain parts contained in Fig. 2, and more particularly the slotted crank arms at the ends of the beater bars, and the eccentric rings and stationary eccentrics which are operatively connected with the beater bars and with their rotative supports at the opposite ends of the beater bars, the rotative supports, stationary eccentrics and means for operating the beater bars being, by preference, identical-except that they are rights and lefts-at both ends of the beater bars.

In constructing an improved machine for breaking and scutching hemp or other fibrous material, in accordance with my in vcntion, I provide a main frame which, when constructed as shown in the drawings, comprises outer side frames 1, 1, arranged in parallel relation on opposite sides of the machine; a front transverse frame member 2 secured at. its opposite ends to the front ends of the outer side frame membersv 1, 1; a transverse back frame member 3 extending across the rear end of the machine and connected at its opposite ends with the rear ends of the outer side frame members 1, 1; a transverse'central.or intermediate frame member 4 extending across the machine frame on the inner side thereof and secured at its opposite ends to the outer side-frame members 1, 1; bottom transverse frame members or bars 5 and 6 extending across the front and r All portions of the machine frame, respectively, and having their opposite ends connected with the outer sideframe members 1, 1, by means of brackets, clips or castings 7 and S, or other suitable securing means.

These transverse bottom bars may serve as front and rear axles, on which may be mounted front wheels 9 and rear supporting wheels 10, or any desired suitable form of running gear.

Inner longitudinal frame members in the form of beams 11, 11, are arranged in parallelrelation to the other longitudinal frame members 1, 1, and secured at their opposite ends to the transverse end frame members 2 and 3'.

Upright outer side frame members 12, 12 are rigidly secured to and extend upward from the opposite outer side frame members 1, 1. These upright side frame members, when constructed as shown in the drawings, may be secured to the longitudinal outer side frame members by means of bolts 13 or other suitable securing means, although it is obvious that the upright frame members may be made inone integral piece with the corresponding outer longitudinal side frame members, if desired.

Inner upright frame members 14, 14 are fixed to the forward portions of the corresponding inner longitudinal frame members 11, 11 between the outer "upright side frame members 12, 12 already described, in position to support the stationary break bars and feed rolls hereinafter described.

An upper front transverse frame member or bar 15, which may be of heavy angle iron construction, extends across the top front portion of the machine over and is secured at its opposite extremities to the outer upright frame members 12, 12, and the top ends of the inner upright frame members 14; and a similar upper transverse frame member 16 extends across the machine back of and in parallel relation to the top frame member 15,and is rigidly secured at its opposite ends to the tops of the outer upright frame members 12, 12. A suitable cover 17 extends over and covers the space between the top transverse frame members 15 and 16, and may be secured in position by means of hinges 18, and screws 19, or other suitable securing means; and a casing 20, which may be of sheet metai, and provided with a hinged door21 having hinges 22, incloses and forms a cover for the rear portion of the machine.

Mounted upon the inner upright frame members or standards 14, 14 is a pair of stationary break-bars consisting of an upper break-bar 23 and a lower break-bar 24 mounted in superposed relation, but with their fiber-engaging or breaking margins or adjacent rear longitudinal edges 25 and 26 spaced part so as to provide a passage 2'? therebetween adapted to permit the passage of stall-rs of hemp or other fibrous material to be operated upon. Each of these station ary break bars has angular, end portions 28, 28 at its opposite extremities extending forward at right angles to the main body of the break-bar and adjustably mounted in a slotted portion 29 in the corresponding inner upright or standard 14, but rigidly secured in position and in tightly fitting engagement with said slotted portions of the standards 14. The upper and lower walls of these slots into which the angular end portions of the stationary break-bars are fitted are, by preference, substantially at right angles to the plane in which the rear fiber-engaging or breaking edges of the break-bars are located, which, in this instance corresponds'with the rear faces of the brealnbars. The angular end portions of the break-bars may be of suitable width up and down, so that they will meet when the fiber-engaging edges 25, 26 are a suitable distance apart to provide a passage therebetween, or there may be a distinct and separate slot 29 for each angular breakbar end. The angular end portions of the break bars are, of course, firmly secured in rigid operative position and in rigid engagement with the standards 14, 14, by any suitable securing means, such, for instance, as screws or bolts 30 anchored in the standards and in securing engagement with the break-bars.

The angular end portions 28, 28 of the upper and lower break-bars are each provided with a horizontal transverse aperture adapted to admit the axles 31 and 32 of upper feed roll 33 and lower feed roll 34, respectively. The axle 32 of the lower feed-roll 34 extends transversely of the machine through suitable journal bearings in the up right frame members 12, 12 and 14, 14, and is provided at its opposite ends with spur gear wheels 35, having "long'radial teeth; and the axle 31 of the upper feed-roll extends through elongated openings 36 in said upright frame members 12, 12 and 14, 14, and is journaled at its opposite extremities in suitable slidably mounted bearing blocks 37, 87, and provided with spur gear wheels 38, 38 having long radial gear teeth adapted to engage the teeth of the spur gears 35, 35, in such a manner as to remain in toothed engagement with the latter, when the upper roll is raised or spread apart from the lower roll to permit the passage of fibrous material between the rolls and fed by the latter into position to pass between the beater-bars, and between or into position to be engaged and operated upon by the beater-bars hereinafter described.

Each of the bearing blocks 37 is slidably supported by and in position to slide upward and downward between parallel guides which may be in the form of upright guiding rods 39, upon or forming an integral part of a bracket 40 provided with a compressible spring 41 interposed between each bearing block 87 and a slidable plate 42 which is engaged and held in proper position to afford the desired tension, by means of a tension screw 43, which is in threaded engagement with the bracket and has its inner end in engagement with the corresponding plate 42, so that the spring will permit and yieldingly resist the tendency of the top roll to be raised by the action of fibrous material fed between said rolls. There is, of course, a sliding block 37, and bracket and spring mechanism for each end of the axle 31 of the top feed-roll 33, and each of the brackets is fixed to a suitable frame member. I prefer to secure the brackets to the outer upright frame members 12 already described.

Mounted back of and in parallel relation to the upper stationary break-bar 23 in position to move downward toward and to cooperate with the fiber-engaging or breaking edge 26 of the lower break-bar 24, is a series of parallel non-invertible revolving beaterbars 44, each of which is pivotally supported at its opposite ends upon a rotative support consisting of a disk or beater-barsupporting wheel 45, 45 rotatively mounted at each end of said series of upper beaterbars. These disks or beater-bar-supporting wheels 45, 45 are each provided with stub shaft or axle 4T fixer thereto and proiecting outward endwise therefrom and journaled in suitable bearings 48 in the corresponding upright frame members 12; and central shaft portion 49 of smaller diameter, and which may be integral with the outer relatively large shaft portions 47 is, by preference, provided, and extends across from one to the other of said disks or wheels 45 and in fixed relation to and at the axial center of said wheels. In order to provide means for still more rigidly connecting the disks or beater-bar-supporting wheels 45, 45, connecting rods 48 are arranged in position to extend from one to the other of said wheels and have their opposite ends fixed to the wheels in such position as not to interfere with the movement or rotation of the wheels or the movement of the beater-bars with respect to the wheels, when the machine is in operation.

Each of the beater-bars 44 is provided, at its opposite ends, with a strong, preferal'ily reinforced end portion 49 to which is fixed a strong crank-shaft or axle 50, which may be made in one integral piece with the reinforced end portion of the beater bar for which such axle or crank-shaft forms a pivotal support and serves to pivotally connect such beater bar with its rotative support. To the outer extremity of each crank-shaft 50 is fixed a crank arm 51, which may made in one integral piece with or welded to the crank shaft 50. These crank arms 51 are each located on the outside of the corresponding beater-bar-supporting wheel 45, or in such position that said supporting wheel's each extend between a crank arm and the adjacent end of the corresponding beater bar with which such crank arm is connected and a stationary eccentric 52 having an opening 53 therein through which the shaft or axle 47 extends, is rigidly secured to the adjacent frame member 12 in eccentric relation to said axle 47 and on the outside of the adjacent beat er-bar-supporting wheel 45, by means of a central pin or boss 54, or other suitable securing means adapted to hold the eccentric in position and withstand the vere stresses and strains to which the parts are necessarily subjected in use. Rotatively mounted on each eccentric 52 is an eccentric ring 55 which is operatively connected with the series of adjacent cranks 51 in such a manner as to guide the cranks and thereby the series of beater-bars. This is acconr plished, by preference, as follows: Each crank is provided with an elongated slot 56, and the eccentric rings are each provided with a series of guiding studs or pins 57- one for each crank to be operatively con nected with such eccentricring and uniformly spaced apart circumferentially of the eccentric ring, and at equal distances from the axial center of said ring. These studs or pins 57 are fixed to the eccentric rings in position to extend into and operatively engage the slotted portions of the correspondcranks 51 to be guided thereby. it is obvious that anti-friction bearing blocks of 11 any ordinary and well known form may be interposed between the pins 57 and the slotted cranks 51, but as such'bearing blocks are familiar and well known, and in common use, for instance, for forming movable jour' nal bearings for axles, as in the case of bearing blocks 37 herein shown, it is not deemed necessary to show or describe in detail the bearing blocks to be used fer the purpose mentioned, as the mechanism above described 1 is capable of successful and satisfactory operation shown, and with or without the use of any form of slidable bearing blacks on the pins 57 and movable in and in sliding engagement with the slotted portions of the cranks 51.

Mounted back of and in irallel relation to the lower stationary break an 24 already described, and in parallel rela ion to'and in position to coiiperate with the heater bars 44 15 beater bars and withthe upper stationarv 50 and is fixed to said wheels.

55 members 12, 12 already described.

above described, and adapted to move up ward in successive order toward and to cooperate with the lower rear fiber-engaging or breaking edge 25 of the upper stationary break bar 23, is a lower series of beater bars 58. These lower beater bars 58, and their rotative support or supporting and operating mechanism, are constructed and adapted to operate in all substantial respects like the upper series of beater bars and their support breaking edge of the lower beater bar, and

cooperate with the latter and with the lower series of beater bars in operating upon the fibrous material to be treated.

Each of the lower beater bars 58, like the upper beater bars, is provided withenlarged or reinforced end portions 59 at each end thereof, having a preferably integral axle or crank shaft 60 projecting outward endwise therefrom, through an opening in an adjacent rotative supporting disk or wheel 62 corresponding with the bcater-bar-supporting wheels 45; already described, the outer end of said crank shafts or axles 60 each-being fixed to or made in one integral piece with a crank arm 61 having an elongated slot 62 which is adapted to admit and slidably engage a pin or guiding stud 63 fixed to an eccentric ring 64: which is rotatively mounted upon a stationary eccen- 10 tric bearing 65 firmly secured in operative position upon an adjacent upright frame member or standard 12, by means of a central stud or boss 66 fixed to said eccentric and. firmly anchored in, said frame member.

Each eccentric 65 has an opening 6?, therethrough through which extends a shaft or axle 68 which is fixed to-and extends outward from the axial centers of the lower beater-bar-supporting disks or wheels 62 The shaft or axle 68 has a relatively small central portion or body which extends from one to the 7 other of the wheels 62, and is journaled in suitable bearings 69 in the upright frame The 'beater-bar-supporting wheels 68 at the opposite ends of the lower series oi". beaterbars are further rigidly connected by means of a pluralitypreterably threw-connecting rods 70, each of which is connected at its opposiite ends with the corresponding wheels '62 so as to form a rigid connection between said wheels, said rods being uniformly spaced apart from each other and from the axles 60 and the central shaft or axle 68, so as to permit freedom of movement of the beater bars with respect to the rotative supporting wheels 62 with which they are thus pivotally connected at the opposite ends of the beater bars, in such a manner that the beater bars are (non-invertible, but :are permitted to revolve around .the axis of the rotative supporting frame cemprising wheels 62 and their connecting rods 70 and the axle or central shafts 68, each of the beater bars 58 bein operatively connected at its opposite ends with .theadjacent eccentric rings 64L, 64 by means of pins 63 fixed to said eccentric rings and entering and in sliding engagement with (the slotted portions of the corresponding crank arms 61, as already described.

In order to provide simple and efiicient means for operativelyconnecting the upper and lower series of beater-bars and the rotative supports upon which said beater bars are pivotally supported, in such a manner that the upper and lower series of beater bars will be caused to revolve in opposite directions simultaneously, and will be held or guided .in such a manner as to be noninvertible, and caused to move into engagement with the fibrous material while the fiber-engaging edges of the beater bars are moving outward away-from the axial center of the rotative supports upon which they are pivotally supported, and to move longitudinally along and in scutching engagement with the fibrous material in such a manner as to give the fibrous material the desired amount of scutching without unnecessarily injuring or breaking the fibers, and preferably at a gradually decreasing speed while in scutching engagement with the fibrous material, and to move out of en pagement with the fibrous material while the fiber-engaging or breaking edges of the beater bars are approaching the axial center of the rotative support upon which they are pivotally supported, the path of movement of the axes or pivotal centers of the beater bars being in a circular path, and the movement of the fiber-engaging or breaking edges of said beater bars being in an elliptical or approximately elliptical circuit, eccentric with respect to the axial center of said rotative supports upon which the beater bars are pivotally supported, where by the noninvertible upper and lower beater bars all have a continuous uninterrupted movement into and out of engagement with the stalks of fibrous material in successive order, so that the fibrous material vill be struck on opposite sides'oit the layer of fibrous material alternately by the beater bars of the upper and lower series respectively, and whereby the fiber-engaging edges of the beater-bars will be brought into breaking engagement with the stalks with great force and in such a manner that the axis of each individual beater bar, in its order, will be passing between the fiber-en gaging or breaking edge of such bar and the axial center of the rotative support on which the beater bars are pivotally supported during the movement of the fiberengaging breaking edge of such beater bar into breaking engagement with the stalks of fibrous material and toward and into position to cooperate or coact with the opposing fiber-breaking edge of the stationary break bar, so that the necessary force will be exerted without unnecessary shocks to the working parts, the upper and lower series of beater-bars are mounted asabove described, and operatively connected as follows:

The upper beater-bar-supporting wheels or disks 45 are each provided with a toothed rim or spur-gear teeth 71 which are in toothed engagement with the similar gear teeth 72 on the peripheral rim of the corresponding or adjacent beater-bar-supporting wheels 62, the pitch lines of the wheels 45 and (32 being of the same diameter. The rotative eccentric rings55 are each provided with peripheral spur gear teeth 74 which are in toothed engagement with similar spur gear teeth 75 on the rotative gear ring or eccentric 64 already described, the pitch lines of said toothed eccentric rings being equal, so that they will rotate at the same speed. The eccentrics and the beater-barsupporting wheels 45 and 62 are thus all so operatively connected as to rotate at the same speed. That is, they have the same number of revolutions per minute. The gear teeth should be of such form as to prevent undue play or back-lash between the parts.

A main driving shaft 76 is rotatively mounted in suitable journal bearings 77, 77, u the main frame, and a pair of spur gear wheels 78, 78, are fixed to said shaft, and each in toothed engagement with the toothed periphery of an adjacent beater-bar supporting wheel 62 on opposite sides of the machine, said gears being, by preference, of the same diameter and having the same number of revolutions per minute as said bar-supporting wheels (32. r

i A supplementary driving shaft 79 rotatively mounted above and in parallel relation to the main driving shaft, is journaled in suitable bearings 80 in the upright frame members 12, 12; and a pair of spur gear wheels 81, 81 are fixed to said shaft, each of said gear wheels 81 being in toothed engagement with an adjacent toothed eccentric ring 64, said gear wheels and eccentrics being, by preference of the same diameter, and having the same number of revolutions per minute.

In order to provide means wherebythe main drive shaft and said supplementary shaft 79 will be driven at t sa e umber of revolutions per minute and in the desired dlrections, an idler shaft 82 is rotatively mounted in suitable journal bearings 83 in the machine frame, and a pair of spur gear wheels or idlers 84 are fixed to said shaft, each of said idler wheels being in toothed engagement with an adjacent spur gear wheel 85 fixed to the shaft 79, and also in engagement with a spur gear wheel 86 fixed to the main driving shaft, said spur gear wheels 85 and 86 being of the same diameter and each having an equal number of revolutions per minute, and being out of engagement with all other gear wheels except the adjacent idler by means of which they are operatively connected.

The above described parts being constructed and arranged and operatively connected as above described, it will be readily seen that the upper and lower series of beater bars will be caused to revolve in opposite directions and will have the same number of revolutions per minute, and that each beater bar will be so held and guided. as to be noninvertible. And the path of movement of each upper beater bar, with particular reference to its fiber-engaging or breaking edge will be downward toward and closely adjacent to the upper rear fiberbreaking edge of the lower beater bar in a direction substantially at right angles or transverse to the longitudinal centers of the stalks of fibrous material passing between the break bars, to be operated upon, and then backward lengthwise of the stalks and out of engagement therewith, and that the path of movement of the fiber-engaging edges of said upper beater bars throughout the lower part of their circuit will be in the direction and will follow the elliptical path indicated by the curved line 87; and the directionof the path of movement of the fiberengaging edges of the lower beater bars into and out of engagement with the fibrous material will be upward and toward the lowerfiber-breaking edge of the upper break-bar, transversely to the length of the stalks and then rearward and dmvnward in an elliptical path as indicated by the curved or elliptical line 88. (See Fig.

The feed rolls 33 and 34 are driven by means of a sprocket wheel 85) fixed to the axle 32 of the lower roll, a sprocket wheel 90 fixed to the axle 68 already described, and a sprocket chain 91 mounted upon and connecting said sprocket wheels. This same connection may be made at both ends of the rolls to avoid torsion.

In order to provide means for further scutching and cleaning the fibrous material and removing the broken hurds or shives from the fibers, and for delivering the cleaned fibrous material in good condition, all in such a manner that the material is broken, scutched and cleaned in an efficient inannerand by a continuous o1.)eration, a scutchingdevice is mounted back of. the beater bar mechanism above described, in position to receive the material passing rearward from between the upper and lower beater bars, or from between the lower break bar and upper series ofbeater bars, or upper break bar and lower series of beater'bars, as the case may be, it being entirely practicable to employ one stationary break bar in conjunction with an upper series of movable beater bars, andwithout an upper break bar, onto employ an upper break bar in conjunction with lower series of heater bars and without a lower break bar, and to employ any desired ordinary and well known or suitable formof feeding mechanism for feeding fibrous material into position to be operated upon by the beater bar mechanism which may consist of one or more, or any desired numberof movable beater-bars capable of eilicient operation without interfering with each other or with other moving parts of the machine.

A simple andeconomical and very durable mechanism for the purpose indicated, is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which a rear scutching and cleaning cylinder, drum or wheel 92'is rotati'vely mounted directly back of and in parallel relation to the lower series of movable beater bars, upon a transverse axle 93 which is j ournaled at its opposite extremities in journal bearings 9 1" on the main frame. This rotary scutching cylinder or wheel, when constructedas shown inthedrawings, consists of opposite drum heads 9%, 9 1 fitted to the shaft or axle 93 on the inner side of the machine frame at opposite sides of thetrame and laterally beyond the corresponding ends o-ithe' movable beater-bars. The periphery of the cylinder, drum orwheel 92 may be formed of a series of peripheral rods, arranged in parallel relation and connected at their opposite ends with the drum or cylinder heads 94 by means of tapered pins 01' rivets 96 driven into suitable openings in the rods and cylinder or drun'r heads, or other suitable ordinary securing means adapted to rigidly connect the opposite ends of said rods with the drum heads or cylinder heads, so as to form a rigid rotative cylinder or drum. It is obvious that the body of the drum or cylinder may be in the form of a sheet metal cylinder, if desired, so as to form a drum all or any desired part of which is inclosed; but I prefer to have the drum or frame in the form of an openwork cylinder comprising the peripheral rods adapted to permit hurds and waste material to pass therebetween when the ma chine is in operation. v V

The rods are capable oi operating upon the fibrous material very effectively, the cylinder or rotative frame 6r which they form the peripheral part, being mounted adjacent to the rear lower movable beater bars in such position that the upwardly moving side of the drum or cylinder is in position to receive and carry rearward fibrous material passing over the lower series of beater bars, or from between the upper and lower series of movable beater-bars. The cylinder here shown, is provided with a series of intermediate peripheral rings or circumferential scutching members in the form of scalloped or-fl'uted rings 97 having peripheral rounded projections 98 which project outward peripherally beyond the main body or periphery of the drum andare disposedcircumferentially of said drum or cylinder. These scutching rings 97 are arranged at suitable-intervals between and in parallel relation to the end frame or drum heads 93, and are held in properly spaced apart relation to each other by means of sleeves or rings 99.

These sleeves or spacing members 99' may be mounted in position to encircle the rods 95, as shown, or may be of any desired form 0t spacing device adapted to hold the peripheral 'scutching rings properly spaced apart, and in position to operate upon the fibrous material passing over the drum or cylinder.

Mounted in position to extend over and rearward and downward at an incline with respect to the rear or downwardly moving side of the scutching drum or cylinder 92 is a grate 100 having a series of rearwardly and downwardly, preferably curved gratebars 101 supported at the upward forward extremities by means of a suitable'support which may be in the form oi a transverse strip or frame member 102, secured to the top frame otthe machine by means of angleiron corner pieces 103, and having a perforated bottom angle-iron 104i fixed to the transvers i rame member 102, and forming a support for the upper forward ends of the ribs or fork-prongs 101 which are inserted. through the openings in the upright flange of said angle-iron strip 10%, and through openings in the lower marginal portion of the frame member 102. It is obvious that any suitablesupporting means may be employed for supporting the upper forward ends of the grate-bars 101 in position, so that they will be in parallel relation to each other, like the prongs of a large inverted fork, and extend downward and rearward at an angle overthe rear downwardly moving side of the scutching cylinder 92, to a conveyer chute 105 at the rear of the machine, so that hurds, or shives and waste material loosened and thrown upward and rearward by the scutching cylinder will be permitted to pass upward between the grate bars and into the inclosed transverse chute or trough 105, while the long fibers will be prevented'from passing between or upward and rearward beyond the grate bars, and will be guided by the latter, so as to pass rearward over the scutching cylinder or drum, and between said drum and the bottom curved or concave side of said grate bars, and into position to be caught up by a rear endless feeding and discharging apron or belt 106. The endless apron or belt 106 is mounted at its forward extrem ity, upon a transverse roller 107 having an axle 108 journaled at its opposite ends in suitable bearings 109 in the opposite side frame of the machine, the rear extremity of said endless apron or belt being supported in operative position by a rear roller 109 having an axle 110, the opposite ends of which are adapted to be rotatively mounted in suitable bearings in a stationary support which may be of any desired ordinary or suitable form.

A feed roller 111 having an axle 112 the opposite extremities of which are journaled in suitable bearings 113, 113, at opposite sides of the main frame, is mounted in position to extend transversely across and in position to be normally in contact with the top rearwardly moving lap of the endless belt or apron 106, so as to engage and permit fibrous material to pass between said last-mentioned roller and said endless apron or belt, as such fibrous material is caused to pass rearward between the scutching cylinder and the grate, and downward into posi tion to' beengaged and fed rearward by and between the feed belt 106 and roller 111.

A rear lower scutching concave or curved shield 114 is mounted closely adjacent to the lower rear portion of the downwardly moving side of the scutching cylinder 92, and supported by means of metallic strips 115, 115, secured to the opposite side frames of the machine in such position that the upper rear margin 116 of said scutching concave is adjacent to the upwardly moving forward extremity of the endless apron or belt 106, and adapted to enga and support fibrous material extending between said scutching concave, shield or guard 11% and the scutching cylinder.

A bottom endless carrier belt or apronextends from the forward portion of the machine rearward under the rotary beater-bar mechanism, and the scutching cylinder, and below the scutching concave 11 1, in posi tion to receive loosened hurds or shives and tow and waste material passine downward onto said endless carrier from the beaterbars, scutching cylinder and scutching concave while the machine is in operation. This endless carrier belt or apron 117 is mounted at its forward extremity upon a forward supporting roller 118, having an axle 119, the opposite ends of which are journaled in suitable bearings 120, 120 on opposite sides of the main frame. I

The hurds, shives and waste material dis charged into the chute 105 are carried off by means of suitable carrier or discharging mechanism such, for instance, as a transverse screw conveyer 121 rotatively mounted in the chute 105, and having an axle in the form of a stub shaft 122 fixed to one end of the helical conveyer blade 123 of the conveyer and journaled in suitable bearings 124 on the main frame. This screw conveyer is driven by means of a sprocket wheel 127 fixed to the axle 122, a sprocket wheel 126 fixed to the axle 108 of the conveyer roller 107, and a sprocket chain 127 mounted upon and connecting said sprocket wheels.

The conveyer roller 107 and the conveyor belt or apron 106 operated thereby, is driven by means of a sprocket wheel 128 fixed to the axle 107, a sprocket wheel 129 fixed to the axle 93, and a chain 130 mounted upon and connecting said sprocket wheels.

The axle 93 of the scutching cylinder 92 is driven by means of a sprocket wheel 131 fixed to the axle 93, a sprocket wheel 132 fixed to the axle or stub shaft 68 already described, and a sprocket chain 133 mounted upon andconnecting said sprocket wheels.

The bottom endless carrier belt 117 is driven by means of a sprocket wheel 13% fixed to the axle 119 of the roller 118, a sprocket wheel 135 fixed to the idler shaft 82 already described, and a sprocket chain 136 mounted upon and connecting said sprocket wheels.

The entire mechanism above described is operatively comiected with a suitable source of power, such as an engine or motor, which may be of any desired ordinary well known or suitable form, by means of a belt pulley or main drive wheel 137 fixed to the main drive shaft 76,'a-nd a driving belt 138 mounted upon said main drive wheel and adapted to be connected with and driven by the drive wheel of an engine, motor or any suitable source of power.

A feed table 139 is mounted forward of the feed rolls 33 and 34, where it is supported in position by means of legs or braces 140 and the standards 14:. Side fiber-engaging edges of said beater bars is in a somewhat elliptical. circuit eccentric with respect to the axis of the rotative supports on which. the beater-bars are pivotally supported. The fiber-engaging edge of each beateabar is thus caused to move into ongagement with the fibrous material. while the axis of such beater bar is moving into position to pass between the fiber-engaging edge of such beater-bar andthe axis of the rotative support or wheels upon which the beater-bars are pivotally supported, thus obtaining a leverage tending to spread the fiber-engaging edge of the beater-bar and the axis of said rotative support apart, the pressure or principal force of the stroke be ing applied in such a manner as to get an effect like-that of a toggle lever, and the direction of movement of the fiber-engaging edge of the beater-bar is transverse with respect to the stalks atv the moment of coming into breaking contact with the stalks, and is then in a directionv longitudinally of the stalks. The direction: and speed are therefore as desired, and the stalks are broken and scutched in an efiicient manner.

The fibrous material passes overthe transverse scutching; cylinder and is operated upon by the latter while the material is held and fed. rearward by the front feed rolls; and the stalks are released at their rear ends before the seutching operation is completed throughout the entire length of the stalks or fibers, but after the advanced ends of the fibers or stalks are caught up by the feeding apron and roll at the rear of the seutching cylinder. The back ends or rear portions of thestalks thus permitted to fall or pass downward and rearward into position to extend between the rear scutching concave and the lower reardownwardly moving side of the scutching; cylinder a-re scutehed between the cylinder andflsaid concave, as they are fed rearward by the rear feeding apron and roll. The scutching of the stalks or fibers throughout their entire length is thus completed, and the fibrous material is delivered at the rear of the machine in a thoroughly cleaned condition.

I do not confine myself to the exact mechanism, form or construction and arrangement of elements or parts herein described and shown, otherwise than as set forth in the claims; but contemplate the use of equivalents and such. modifications of the elements and parts as should properly come within the scope of'my invention as herein described, shown and claimed.

I claim:

1. In a machine for'treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a beater-bar adapted to be pivotally mounted upon a rotative support, a rotative beater-bar-supporting member upon which said beater-bar is pivotally nected with the beater-bar and controlling a movement of the fiber-engaging stalkbreakingedge of said beater-bar in a circuit eccentric with respect to the axis of the rotative beater-bar-supporting member with which the beater-bar is pivotally connected, and means for supporting stalks of fibrous material in position to be engaged-and operated upon by said beater-bar.

2. In a machine for treating, fibrousmaterial, the combination of beater-bar mechanism. comprising a beater-bar adapted to be pivotally connected with a rotative support, a rotative support upon which said beater-bar is pivotally mounted, eccentric guiding mechanism rotatively mounted in eccentric relation to said rotative beaterbar support and operatively connected with the beater-bar and acting to control a movement of the fiber-engaging stalk-breaking edge of the-beater-bar in a circuit eccentric with respect to the axis of said rotative beater-bar support. with which said beaterbar is pivotally connected, means for feeding and supporting stalks of fibrous material. in position to be engaged and operated upon by the pivoted beater-bar mechanism, and means for operating the beater-bar mechanism.

3. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a series of beater-bars each adapted to be pivotally connected with a rotative support, a rotative support upon which said beater-bars are pivotally mounted, guiding mechanism operatively connected with the pivoted beater-bars and control ling a movement of each of said beater-bars in a circuit in which the path of movement of the stalk-breaking edge of each ofv said beater-bars iseccentric to the axial center of the rotative support upon which said beaterbars are pivotally mounted, means for sup porting stalks of fibrous material in position to be engaged. and operated upon by the stalk-breaking edges of said beater-bars, and means for rotating the support upon which said beater bars are pivotally mounted.

4. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a plurality of beater-bars each adapted to be mounted upon and movable with respect to the axis of a rotative support, a rotative support upon which said beater-bars are movably mounted, guiding mechanism operatively connected with said beater-bars, and controlling a movement of a fiber-engaging stalk-breaking edge of each beater-bar in a circuit eccentric with respect to the axis of the rotative support upon which said beater-bars are movably mounted, means for supporting stalks of fibrous material in position to be engaged and broken by the stalk-breaking edges of said beater-bars successively, and means for rotating the rotative support upon which said beater-bars are mounted.

5. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising an upper series and a lower series of beater-bars each adapted to be mounted upon and movable with respect to the axis of a rotative support, an upper rotative support upon which said upper series of movable beater-bars is mounted, a lower rotative support upon which said lower series of movable beater bars is mounted, guiding mechanism operatively connected with said beater-bar mechanism and controlling a movement of a stalkbreaking edge of each beater-bar in a circuit eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotative support upon which said beater-bars are mounted, means for support ing stalks of fibrous material in position to be engaged and broken progressively on opposite sides alternatively by the beater-bars of said upper and lower series of beaterbars, and means for operating the beaterbar mechanism.

6. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising an upper series and a lower series of beater-bars each adapted to be pivotally mounted upon a rotative support, an upper rotative support upon which each of said upper beater-bars is pivotally mounted, a lower rotative support upon which each of said lower beater-bars is pivotally mounted, guiding mechanism operatively connected with said beaterarm mechanism and controlling a movement of a stalk-breaking edge of each of said beater bars in a circuit eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotative support upon which said beater-bars are pivotally mounted, means for supporting stalks of fibrous material in position to be engaged and broken progressively on opposite sides alternately by the beater-bars of said upper and lower series of beater-bars, and means for operating the rotative supports upon which the beater-bars are pivotally mounted.

7. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a beater-bar adapted to be pivotally mounted upon a rotative support,

a rotative support upon which said beaterbar is pivotally mounted, fiber-supporting means adapted tosupport stalks of fibrous material in position to be engaged and broken by the fiber-breaking edge of saidpivoted beater-bar, and guiding means op-- eratively connected with the beater-bar and controlling a movement of the free edge of .the beater-bar into stalk-breaking enga ement with the stalks simultaneously with the movement of the axis of said beater bar into position to pass between the stalkengaging edge of the beater-bar and the axis of the rotative support upon which the beater bar is pivotally mounted, and means for rotating said rotative support.

8. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a beater bar adapted to be pivotally mounted upon a rotative support, a rotative supporting frame upon which said beater-bar is pivotally mounted, guiding mechanism. operatively connected with the beater-bar and acting to control a movement of the fiber-engaging stalkbreaking edge of said beater bar in a circuit eccentric with respect to the axis of the rotative beater-bar-supporting frame and into stalk-breaking engagement with the stalks simultaneously with a movement of the individual axis of said beater-bar into position to pass between the stalk-breaking edge of the beater-bar and the axis of said rotative supporting frame upon which the beaterbar is pivotally mounted, means for supporting stalks of. fibrous material in position to be engaged by the stalk-breaking edge of said beater-bar during the movement of the axis of the beater-bar into position to pass between the stalk-engaging edge of the beater-bar and the axis of said rotative supporting frame, and means for rotating the rotative beater-bar-supporting frame.

9. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination oi? beater-arm mechanism comprising a beater-bar adapted to be pivotally mounted upon a rotative support, a rotative support upon which said beater-bar is pivotally mounted, a stationary break-bar having a stalk-breaking edge adjacent to and facing toward the stalkbreaking edge of the pivoted beater-bar, guiding means operatively connected with the beater-bar and controlling a movement of the free edge of the beaterbar outward in a direction away from the axis of rotation of said rotative support and into fiberbreaking engagement with the stalks, and means for rotating said rotative support.

10. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a beater-bar adapted to be pivotally mounted upon a rotative support, a rotative support upon which said heaterbar is pivotally mounted, a stationary break-bar having a stalk-engaging edge adjacent to and facing toward the path of movement of the stalk-breaking edge of the pivoted beater-bar, guiding mechanism rotatively mounted in eccentric relation to the axis of said rotative support and operatively connected with the pivoted beater-bar and controlling a movement of the free edge of said beater-bar outward in a direction away from the axis of rotation of said rotative support and into fiber-breaking engagement with the stalks during the movement of the axis of the beater bar mto posi' tion to pass between the fiber-engaging edge of the beater-bar and the axis of said rotative beater-bar-supporting member, and means for rotating the rotative beater-barsupporting member.

11. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a series of beater-bars each adapted to be pivotally connected with a 1'0- tative support, a rotative support upon which said beater-bars are pivotally mounted, a stationary break-bar having a stalkengaging edge adjacent to and facing toward the path of movement of the stalk breaking edges of the pivoted beater-bars and adapted to support stalks in position to extend between said stalk-engaging edge of the stationary break-bar and the stalkbreaking edges of the pivoted beater-bars, guiding mechanism operatively connected with thepivoted beater-bars and controlling a movementoit the liber-ln'eaking edge of each of said beater-bars outward. away from the axis of rotation oi said rotative supportand into stalk-tweaking engagement with the stalks in a circuit eccentric to the axis of rotation of said rotative support, and means for operating said rotative support.

12. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising an upper series and a lower series 01. beater-bars each adapted to be mounted upon and movable with respect to the axis of a rotative support, an upper rotative support upon which said upper se ries of beater-bars is mounted, a lower rotative support upon which said lower series of beater-bars is mounted, a stationary break-bar having an upper stallrengaging edge adjacent to and facing toward the path of movement of the stalk-breaking edges oi the upper series of beater-bars, an upper stationarybreak-bar having a bottom stalkcugaging edge adjacent to and Facing toward the path of movement of the stalk-breaking edges of thelower series of beater-bars, guiding mechanism operatively connected withthe pivoted beater-bars and controlling a movement of the fiber-breaking edge of each of said beater-bars outward away from i the axis of rotation of the rotative support upon which such beater-bar is mounted and into stalk-breaking engagement with the stalks, and means for operating said upper and lower rotative supports in synchronous relationto each other.

13 In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mecha' nism comprising an upper series and a lower series of beater-bars each adapted to be pivotally mounted: upon a rotative support, an

.upper rotative support upon which each of the beater-bars of said upper series is pivotally mounted, a lower rotative support upon which each of the beater-bars of the lower series is pivotally mounted, a lower sta- -tionary break-bar having an upper stalkengaging edge adjacent to and facing toward the path of movement or" the stalkbreaking edges of the upper series of pivoted beater-bars, an upper stationary breakbar having a bottom stalk-engaging edge adjacent to and facing toward the path or movement of the stalk-ln'eaking edges of the lower series of beater-bars, rotative guiding mechanism operatively connected with the pivoted beater-bars and controlling a movement of the fiber-breaking edge of each of said beater-bars outward withrespect to the axis of rotation of the rotative support upon which such beater-bar is pivotally mounted and into stalk-breaking engagement with the stalks, andmeans for rotating said up-- per and lower rotative supports,

lei. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar'mechanism comprising an upper beater bar having-a bottom fiber-engaging edge, an upper rotative support upon which said upper beater-bar is pivotally mounted, a lower beater-bar having a top fiber-engaging edge, a lower rotative support upon which the lower beater-bar is pivotally mounted, means for supporting stalks of fibrous material in position to pass between and in position to be engaged and operated upon by the stalkengagiug edges of said beater-bars, guiding mechanism operatively connected with said beater-bars and controlling. a movement of the fiber-engaging. edge of each of said beater-bars in a circuit eccentric to the axis of the rotative support upon which such beater-bar is pivotally mounted, and means for rotating the rotative supports upon which said beater-bars are mounted;

15. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of heater-bar mecha nism comprising an upper beater-bar having a fiber-engaging bottom edge, an upper rotative support upon which said upper beater-bar is pivotally mounted, a lower beater-bar having a top fiber-engaging edge, a lower rotative support upon which the lower beater-bar is pivotally mounted, a lower stationary break-bar having an upper stalk-engaging edge adjacent to and facing toward thepath of movement oi the stalkengaging edge of said upper break bar, an upper stationary break-ha r having a bottom stalk-engaging edge adjacent to andfacing toward the path of movement of the stalkengaging edge of said lower beater-bar, re tative guiding mechanism mounted in eccentric relation to the axes of the rotative supports upon which said beater-bars are ed with and controlling a movement of a fiber-engaging edge of each of said beaterbars in a circuit eccentric to the axis of the rotative support upon which such beaterbar is pivotally mounted and into' stalk breaking engagement with the stalks, and

of fibrous material in position to be engaged and broken by the stalk-tweaking edge of said pivoted beater-bar, rotative guiding mechanism mounted in eccentric relation to the axis of the rotative support upon which said beater-bar is pivotally mounted, and operatively connected with and controlling a movement of the fiber-engaging stalkbreaking edge of said beater-bar in a circuit eccentric to the axis of said rotative support upon which such beater-bar is pivotally mounted, and means for rotating said rotative support and said eccentric rotative guiding mechanism.

17. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a beater-bar having a fiber-engaging stalk-breaking edge, rotative supporting wheels located at the opposite ends of said beater-bar, means for pivotally connecting the opposite ends of the beaterbar with said rotative supporting wheels, means for supporting stalks of fibrous material in position to be engaged and broken by the stalk-breaking edge of said pivoted beater-bar, rotative guiding mechanism mounted in eccentric relation to the axes of the rotative supporting wheels and operatively connected with and controlling a movement of the fiber-engaging stalk-breaking edge of said beater-bar in a circuit eccentric to'the axes of said rotative heater-barsupporting wheels, and driving gear mechanism operativcly connected with said heaterhar-supporting wheels and with said rotative eccentric guiding mechanism, for rotating the same.

18. Ina machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a beater-bar having a fiber-engaging edge, toothed rotative supporting wheels located at opposite ends of said beater-bar, means pivotally connecting the opposite ends of said beater-bar with said rotative supporting wheels, means for supporting stalks of fibrous material in position to be engaged by said pivoted'beaten bar, toothed rotative guiding mechanism mounted in eccentric relation to the axes of said beater-bar-supporting wheels, and operatively connected with and controlling a.

movement of the fiber-engaging edge of said beater-bar, driving shaft and gear mechanism in operative engagement with said toothed beater-bar-supporting wheels, and means for operatively connecting the rotative eccentric guiding mechanism with the driving shaft.

19. In a machine for treating fibrous ma terial, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a series of beater-bars, toothed rotative supporting wheels located at opposite ends of said beater-bars, means for pivotally connecting the opposite ends of each of said beater-bars with said rotative supporting wheels, means for support ing stalks of fibrous material in position to be engaged by said pivoted beater-bars. toothed eccentric guiding wheels rotatively mounted in eccentric relation to the axes of said beater-bar-supporting wheels and operatively connected with and controlling a movement of the fiber-engaging edge of each of said b water-bars in a circuit eccentric to the axes of said bcater-bar-supporting wheels, a driving shaft, gear mechanism fixed to the driving shaft and. in toothed engagement with said beater-har-supportiug wheels, a supplementary shaft, gear mechanism on the supplementary shattand in toothed engagement with the toothed eccentric guiding wheels, and connecting g ar mechanism forming a connection between the supplementary shaft and said first mat-1r tioned driving shaft.

20. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a series of beater-bars, rotative supporting wheels located. a: opposite ends of said beater-bars, axles fixed to the opposite ends of each beater-bar and pivotally connected with and supported upon adjacent supporting wheels, a crank arm upon the outer extremity of each of said beater-bar axles, means for supporting stalks of fibrous material in position to he engaged by said pivoted beater-bars, eccentric guiding wheels rotatively mounted n eccentric relation to the axes of said heaterbar-supporting wheels and adjacent to said cranks, means for operatively connecting each crank with an adjacent eccentric guiding wheel, and means for operating said beater-bar-supporting wheels and eccentric guiding wheels.

21. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a series of heater-bars, rotative supporting wheels located at opposite ends of said beater-bars, axles fixed to the opposite ends of each beater-bar and er:- tending through and pivotally connected with an adjacent beater-bar-supporting wheel, a crank arm fixed to the outer end of each of said beater-bar axles, eccentric guiding wheels rotatively mounted adjacent to said crank arms and in eccentric relation to the axes of said beater-bar-sup'por'ting wheels, crank-operating pins mounted upon each of said eccentric guiding wheels; each jacent one of said beater-barsupporting wheels, a slotted crank arm upon the outer end of each of said beater-bar axles, eccentric guiding wheels rotatively mounted adjacent to said crank arms and in eccentric axes of said beater-bar supporting wheels, crank-operating P1118 relation to the mounted upon each of said eccentric guiding wheels, each of said pins'being in opera tive engagement with a slotted portion 01' a corresponding adjacent crank arm, means for supporting stalks of fibrous material 11] position to be engaged by sa1,d pivoted beater-bars, and means for operating said beater-bar-supporting wheels and eccentric guiding wheels.

23. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of a series of beater-bars, beater-bar-supporting wheels rotatively mounted at opposite ends of and adapted to form rotative supports for said beater-bars, axles fixed to and projecting endwisc from the ends of the beater-bars, each of said axles being pivotally connected with and supported by an adjacent one of said beater-har-supporting wheels, a slotted crank arm fixed to the outer end of each of said beater-bar axles, eccentric guiding wheels rotatively mounted adjacent to said crank arms and in eccentric relation to the axes of said beater-bar-supporting wheels, crank-operating pins mounted upon each of said eccentric guiding wheels and each in operative engagement with a slotted portion of an adjacent corresponding crank arm, a stationary break-bar mounted adjacent to and having a fiber-engaging stalk-breaking edge facing toward the path of movement of said beater'bars, and means for operating said beater-bar-supporting wheels and eccentric guiding wheels.

24. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of a series of beaterbars each adapted to be pivotally connected with a rotative support, a rotative support upon which said beater-bars are pivotally mounted, a stationary break-bar having a stall'c-engaging edge adjacent to and facing toward the path of movement of the stalkbreaking edges of the pivoted beater-bars, means for feeding stalks of fibrous material across saidbreak-bar and into position to extend between the stalk-breaking'edge of said break-bar and the path of movement of the stalk-breaking edges of the pivoted beaterbars, rotative guiding mechanism mounted in eccentric relation to the axis of the rotative support upon which said pivoted beaterbars are pivotally mounted and operatively connected with and controlling a movement of a fiber-engaging edge of each of said beaterbars in a circuit eccentric to the axis of said rotative support upon which such beater-bar is pivotallymounted, and means for rotating the beaterfbar support and said eccentric guiding mechanism.

25. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising an upper series of beaterbars, a rotative support upon which said upper series of beater-bars are pivotally mounted, a stationary break-bar having a stalloengaging edge adjacent to and facing toward the path of movement of the stalkbreaking edges of said pivoted upper beaterbars, a lower series of heaters, a rotative support upon which each beater-bar of said lower series is pivotally mounted, an upper stationary break-bar having a stalkengag' ing edge adjacent to and facingtoward the path of movement of the stalk-breaking edges of said lower pivoted beater-bars, means for feeding stalks of fibrous material into position to pass between said stationary break-bars and in position to be engaged on opposite sides alternately by said upper and lower beater-bars, rotative guiding mechanism operatively connected with and controlling a movement of a fiber-engaging edge of each of said beater-bars in a circuit eccentric to the axis of the rotative support upon which such beater-bar is pivotally mounted, and means for operating said rotative beaterbar supports.

26. In a machine for treating fibrous material, in combination of a series of beater-bars each adapted to be pivotally mounted upon a rotative support, a gear-toothed rotative support upon which each of said beater-bars is pivotally mounted, a stationary break-bar having a stalk-engaging edge adjacent to and facing toward the path of movement of the pivoted beater-bars, means for feeding stalks of fibrous material across said stationary break-bar and into position-to extend between the stalk-engaging edge of said breakbar and the path of movement of the stalkengaging edges of said pivoted beater-bars, toothed eccentric guiding wheel mechanism rotatively mounted in eccentric relation to thea'xis of said rotative beater-bar support and operatively connected with each of said pivoted beater-bars, and shaft and gear mechanism operatively connected with said toothed rotative beater-bar support and said toothed eccentric guiding wheel mechanism, for rotating the same.

27. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising an upper series of beaterbars, a gear-toothed rotative support upon which each of said beater-bars is pivotally mounted, a lower series of beater-bars, a lower gear-toothed rotative support upon which each beater-bar of said lower series of beater-bars is pivotally mounted, means for supporting stalks of fibrous material in position to pass between and to be engaged on opposite sides alternately by said upper and lower beater-bars, connected eccentric toothed guiding wheels mounted in eccentric relation to the axes of said upper and lower geartoothed rotative beater-bar supports and operatively connected with said pivoted beaterbars, and driving shaft and gear mechanism operatively connected with said eccentric guiding wheel mechanism and with the geartoothed rotative supporting mechanism on which the beater-bars are pivotally mounted.

28. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising an upper series and a lower series of beater-bars, gear-toothed upper rotative supporting wheel mechanism upon which each beater-bar of said upper series of beater-bars is pivotally mounted, gear-toothed lower rotative supportingwheel mechanism upon which each beaterbar of the lower series of beater-bars is pivotally mounted, said lower supportingwheel mechanism being in toothed engagement with said upper rotative supporting wheel mechanism, means "for supporting stalks of fibrous material in position to be operated upon on opposite sides alternately by said upper and lower pivoted beaterbars, upper toothed-eccentric guiding-wheel, mechanism rotatively mounted in eccentric relation to the axial center of said upper rotative beater-bar supporting wheel mechanism and operatively connected with each of said upper pivoted beater-bars, lower toothed eccentric guiding wheel mechanism in toothed engagement with said upper toothed eccentric guiding wheel mechanism and operatively connected with each of said lower pivoted beater-bars, and means for rotating the toothed eccentric guiding-wheel mechanism and toothed rotative beater-barsupporting wheel mechanism.

29. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising an upper series and a lower series of beater-bars, gear-toothed upper rotative supporting wheels upon which each beater-bar of said upper series of beater-bars in pivotally mounted geartoothed lower rotative supporting wheels upon which each beater-bar of said lower series of beater-bars is pivotally mounted, stationary break-bars having their fiberen 'aging stalk-breaking edges spaced apart and adapted to support fibrous material in position to pass between and to be engaged on opposite sides alternately by said upper and lower pivoted beater-bars, connected eccentric toothed guiding wheels mounted in eccentric relation to the axes of said upper and lower gear-toothed rotative beater-har-supporting wheels, and shaft and gear mechanism operatively connected with said gear-toothed beaterbar supporting wheel mechanism and with said toothed eccentric guiding wheel mechanism, for rotating the same.

30. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of a beater-bar mechanism comprising an upper series and a lower series of beater-bars, gear-toothed upper rotative beater-bar-supporting wheels upon which each beaterbar of said upper series of beater-bars is pivotally mounted, gear-toothed lower rotative beater-bar-supporting wheels upon which each beater-bar of said lower series of beater-bars is pivotally mounted, said lower beater-bar-supporting wheels being in toothed engagement with said upper beater-bar-supporting wheels, stationary break-bars having their fiber engaging edges spaced apart and adapted to support fibrous material in position to pass between and to be engaged on opposite sides alternately by said upper and lower pivoted beater-bars, upper toothed guiding wheels rotatively mounted in eccentric relation to the axes of said upper beater-bar-supporting wheels, and operatively connected with each of said upper pivoted beater-bars, lower toothed eccentric guiding wheels in toothed engagement with said upper toothed eccentric guiding wheels and operatively connected with each of said lower pivoted beaterbars and, rotatively supported in eccentric relation to the said lower beater-bar-supporting wheels, means for feeding stalks of fibrous material between said stationary beater-bars, and means for rotating said toothed eccentric guiding wheels and toothed rotative beaterbar-supporting wheels.

31. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a series of beater-bars, rotative supporting wheels located at opposite ends or" said beater-bars, axles fixed to the opposite ends of each of said beater-bars and, pivotally connected with and supported upon corresponding adjacent supporting wheels, a crank arm upon the outer extremity of each of said axles, a stationary break-bar mounted adjacent to the path of movement of said beater-bars and adapted to support fibrous material in position to be operated upon by the beater-bars, eccentric guiding wheels rotativelymounted in eccentric relation to the axes of said beaterbar supporting wheels and ope 'atively connected with said cranks, and means for operating said beater-bar-supporting wheels and said guiding wheels.

32. In a machine for treating librousmaterial, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a series of beater-bars, adapted to be pivotally mounted upon a rotative support, rotative supporting wheels located at opposite ends of said beater-bars, means for pivotally connecting each of said beaterbars in pivotal relation. with said supporting wheels, a stationary break-bar mounted adjacent to the path of movement of said beater-bars and adapted to support stalks of fibrous material in position to be engaged by said pivoted beater-bars, means for feeding stalks otfibroiis material across said stationary break bar and into position to be operated upon progressively by said heater bars, C(liCQlltl'lG guiding wheels rotatively mounted in eccentric relation to the axes of said beater-bar-supporting wheels and operatively connected with the axes of said beater bars, and means for operating said beater-bar-s1ipporting wheels and said guiding wheels.

33. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a series of beater-bars each adapted to be pivotally mounted upon a rotatii'e support, rotative supportingwheels located at opposite ends of said beater-bars, axles fixed to and projecting endwise beyond theopposite ends ofeach of said beater-bars and pivotally mounted in the corresponding adjacent beatenbar-supporting wheels, slotted crank arms fixed to the ends of said axles, eccentric guiding wheels rotatively mounted in eccentric relation to the axes of said beater-ba-r-supporting wheels,means for connecting each of said slotted crank arms with a corresponding adjacent one of said eccentric guiding wheels, a stationary break-bar mounted adjacent to the path of" movement of said heater barsjmeans for feeding stalks of librous material across said stationary break-bar and in position to be operated upon progressively by said beater-bars, and

means for operating said beater-barsup porting wheels and said guiding wheels.

34. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination of beater-bar mechanism comprising a series of beater-bars adapted to be pivotally mounted upon a rotative support, rotativesupporting wheels located at opposite ends of said beater-bars, means for pivotally connecting the opposite ends of each of said beater-bars with said rotative supporting wheels, means for supporting stalks in position to be operated upon by said beater-bars, feeding mechanism for feeding stalks into position to be engaged and operated upon progressively lengthwise of the stalks by said beater-bars, eccentric guiding wheels rotatively mounted in eccentric relation to the axes of said beater-bar-supporting wheels and, operatively connected with said pivoted'beaterbars, rotative scutching mechanism mounted rearward of and having its axis at an angle with respect to said beater-bars, for scutching fibrous material passing rearward from the pivoted beater-bais, and means for operating said eccentric guiding-wheels, rotative beater-bar-supporting wheels and rear scutching mechanism.

85. In a machine for treating fibrous material, the combination o'l' beater-bar mechanism comprising an upper series and a lower series of beater-bars, upper rotative supporting-wheels located at opposite ends of the upper series of beater-bars, means for pivotally connecting the opposite ends of each oi the beater-bars of said upper series with said upper rotative beater-bar-supporting wheels, lower rotative supporting wheels located at opposite ends of the lower series'of beater-bars, means for pivotally connecting the opposite ends of each of the beater-bars of said lower series with said lower rotative beater-bar-supporting wheels, stationary break-bars mounted in position to support stalks of fibrous material in position to pass between and in engagement with the upper and lower series of beaterbars, means for feeding stalks of fibrous material-between said stationarybreak bars and into position to be operated upon on opposite sides of said material alternately by the beater-bars, a srutching cylinder rotatively mounted rearward with respect to the beater-bars and adapted to scutch material passing rearward from said heaterbars, and means for ope 'ating the eccentric guiding wheels, rotative beater-bar-supporting wheels, and rear scutching cylinder.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this lllth day of December, 1918.

IVILLL-Lh l A. SHELY. IYitnesses I'IARRY I. CRoMnn, WM, HARDING. 

